Fan system for electronic device

ABSTRACT

A fan system for dissipating heat generated in an electronic device includes a processor unit, a speedometer unit connected to the processor unit, a governor unit connected to the processor unit, and a fan group including at least two fans. Each fan is connected to the speedometer unit and the governor unit and has at least two motors. The processor unit controls all the motors to rotate and thereby drives all the fans to rotate through the governor unit, and detects rotation speeds of all the motors through the speedometer unit. When a motor malfunctions, the processor unit adjusts the rotation speeds of all other motors to ensure that the fan having the malfunctioning motor and other fans are respectively provided with equal power and then rotate in equal speeds.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to electronic devices, and particularly to a fan system for electronic devices.

2. Description of Related Art

Many electronic devices, such as computers and automobile electronic systems, use fan systems for dissipating unwanted heat by creating wind. For improving efficiency of dissipating heat, a fan system used in an electronic device generally includes a number of fans simultaneously rotating, wherein each fan has a number of motors. When a fan is used, all motors of the fan simultaneously drive the fan to rotate. If one of the motors malfunctions, the other motors still operate the fan. However, if two or more fans are simultaneously operating and a motor of one of the fans malfunctions, the fan having the malfunctioning motor will provide less power than other fans. Thus, the fan having the malfunctioning motor rotates slower and generates less wind power than other fans. The difference between wind power generated by the fan having the malfunctioning motor and other fans may generate thermal circumfluence in the electronic device, and then adversely affect the heat dissipating process for the electronic device.

Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present fan system can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present fan system. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the figures.

The figure is a block diagram of a fan system for electronic devices, according to an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The figure shows a fan system 100, according to an exemplary embodiment. The fan system 100 can be used in an electronic device, such as a computer or an automobile electronic system, for generating wind to dissipate unwanted heat generated by the electronic device. The fan system 100 includes a thermograph unit 10, a processor unit 20, a governor unit 30, a speedometer unit 40, a fan group 50, and a circuit board 90. The circuit board 90 can be integrated with a conventional circuit board of the electronic device. The thermograph unit 10, the processor unit 20, the governor unit 30, and the speedometer unit 40 are all mounted on the circuit board 90. The processor unit 20 can be a baseboard management controller (BMC). The thermograph unit 10, the governor unit 30, and the speedometer unit 40 are all electrically connected to the processor unit 20. The thermograph unit 10 can measure temperature in the electronic device and transmits data of the temperature to the processor unit 20.

The fan group 50 includes at least two fans 51 and 53. The fans 51 and 53 are both electrically connected to the circuit board 90, and are further electrically connected to the governor unit 30 and the speedometer unit 40 by the circuit board 90. Each fan of the fan group 50 have at least two motors, for example, the fan 51 includes at least two motors 511, and the fan 53 has at least two motors 531. The processor unit 20 can control all the motors 511 and 531 to be rotated by the governor unit 30, thereby driving the fans 51 and 53 to rotate. The processor unit 20 can also adjust the rotation speeds of the motors 511 and 531 by the governor unit 30. The speedometer unit 40 can detect rotation speeds of the motors 511 and 531 and transmit data of the speeds to the processor unit 20.

When the electronic device functions, the thermograph unit 10 automatically measures temperature in the electronic device and transmits data of the temperature to the processor unit 20. When the temperature in the electronic device exceeds a predetermined value, the processor unit 20 controls all the motors (e.g., 511 and 531) of the fan group 50 to rotate with the governor unit 30, and thus drives all the fans of the fan group 50 (e.g., 51 and 53) to rotate and generate adequate wind power to dissipate unwanted heat generated by the electronic device. According to currently measured temperature in the electronic device, the processor unit 20 can adjust the rotation speeds of all the motors (e.g., 511 and 531) with the governor unit 30 to generate appropriate wind power.

In use, the processor unit 20 maintains detecting rotation speeds of all the motors 511 and 531 using the speedometer unit 40. If any one of the motors 511/531 malfunctions, the fan system 50 can correspondingly adjust rotation speeds of other fans 511 and 531 to prevent thermal circumfluence that adversely affects heat dissipating effect. For example, if a motor 511 of the fan 51 malfunctions and then stops rotating, the fan 51 will be provided with power from only one functioning motor 51 and then rotate slower than the fan 53 that is provided with power by two motors 531. However, once detecting that the motor 511 has stopped rotating, the processor unit 20 adjusts rotation speeds of other motors 511 and 531 using the governor unit 30 to ensure that the fans 51 and 53 generate wind power approximately equal to each other, thereby preventing thermal circumfluence from being generated.

In this exemplary embodiment, when the processor unit 20 detects that one motor 511 malfunctions, it adjusts the rotation speed of the functioning motor 511 to a value that ensures that the fan 51 still generates adequate wind power (for example, a maximal value of the rotation speed). In addition, it adjusts the rotation speeds of the motors 531 so that wind power generated by the fan 53 is approximately equal to wind power generated by the fan 51. For example, both the rotation speeds of the two motors 531 can be adjusted to about ½ of the maximal rotation speed of one motor 511. In this way, power generated by each motor 531 is about ½ of power generated by the functioning motor 511, and thus power provided to the fan 53 by the two motors 531 together is approximately equal to power provided to the fan 51 by the functioning motor 511. Thus, the rotation speeds of the fans 51 and 53 are approximately equal to each other, and then the fans 51 and 53 generate approximately equal wind power. Since no evident difference is formed between wind power generated by the fans 51 and 53, thermal circumfluence is prevented from being generated in the electronic device, and thus unwanted heat generated in the electronic device can be effectively dissipated.

In above rotation speed adjusting operations on the motors 531, the rotation speeds of the motors 531 can also be adjusted to other values, so the power provided by the two motors 531 together is approximately equal to the power provided by the functioning motor 511.

The fan group 50 can include more fans, and each fan can have more than two motors. The processor unit 20 detects rotation speeds of all the motors using the speedometer unit 40 and adjusts the rotation speeds of all the motors using the governor unit 30. If one or more motors of a fan malfunction, the processor unit 20 adjusts the rotation speeds of other motors of the fan having the malfunctioning motor to maximal values to ensure that the fan having the malfunctioning motor still generates adequate wind power. Moreover, the processor unit 20 adjusts the rotation speeds of motors of other fans to ensure that power provided to the fan having the malfunctioning motor is approximately equal to power provided to any other fan. Thus, all the fans rotate in approximately equal speeds and generate approximately equal wind power. Furthermore, if a number of fans respectively have malfunctioning motors, the processor unit 20 can adjust rotation speeds of all other motors to ensure that all the fans are respectively provided with approximately equal power, and thus rotate in approximately equal speeds and generate approximately equal wind power. Without evident difference between wind power generated by the fans, thermal circumfluence is prevented from being generated in the electronic device, and unwanted heat generated in the electronic device can be effectively dissipated.

It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of structures and functions of various embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A fan system for dissipating heat generated in an electronic device, comprising: a processor unit; a speedometer unit connected to the processor unit; a governor unit connected to the processor unit; and a fan group including at least two fans, each fan connected to the speedometer unit and the governor unit and having at least two motors; wherein the processor unit controls all the motors to rotate and thereby drive all the fans to rotate through the governor unit, and detects rotation speeds of all the motors through the speedometer unit; when a motor malfunctions, the processor unit adjusts the rotation speeds of all other motors to ensure that the fan having the malfunctioning motor and other fans are respectively provided with equal power and rotate in equal speeds.
 2. The fan system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a thermograph unit connected to the processor unit, the thermograph unit measuring temperature in the electronic device and transmitting data of the temperature to the processor unit.
 3. The fan system as claimed in claim 2, wherein when temperature in the electronic device measured by the thermograph unit exceeds a predetermined value, the processor unit controls all the motors to rotate via the governor unit, and thus drives all the fans to rotate and generate wind power to dissipate unwanted heat.
 4. The fan system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processor unit adjusts rotation speeds of all the motors through the governor unit according to temperature in the electronic device.
 5. The fan system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a circuit board, wherein the processor unit, the speedometer unit, the governor unit, and the thermograph unit are all mounted on the circuit board, and the fan group is connected to the speedometer unit and the governor unit via the circuit board.
 6. The fan system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the motor malfunctions, the processor unit adjusts the rotation speeds of all other motors of the fan having the malfunctioning motor to maximal values, and adjusts the rotation speeds of motors of other fans to ensure all the fans are respectively provided with equal power.
 7. The fan system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when a plurality of fans respectively have malfunctioning motors, the processor unit adjusts rotation speeds of all other motors to ensure all the fans are respectively provided with equal power. 